Neuroscience & Behavior

Probing the Dopaminergic Innervation of a Novel Subtype of HVC Adult-Born Neurons in Male Zebra Finches

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Abstract: Zebra finches are social animals that communicate via different types of vocalizations, and their song system is an ideal model for studying sensorimotor learning. Throughout adulthood, new neurons are added continuously into the telencephalic brain structure HVC (proper name), which is heavily involved in motor control of singing. The role of these adult-born new … Read more

Sex Differences, Neurosteroids and the Development of Tolerance to Alcohol’s Anxiolytic Effects

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Abstract: Close to 90% of individuals 18 years and older in the United States will consume alcohol at some point in their lives. Although 7% of men have alcohol use disorder (AUD) compared to 4% of women, women are more at risk for the negative health and safety effects of alcohol. Therefore, understanding sex differences … Read more

Singing related activation of DARPP-32+ Adult born Neurons in Zebra Finch HVC

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Abstract: Neurogenesis in the avian brain produces new neurons (HVC NNs) into pre-existing neural circuits related to song production. Of the adult born NNs in HVC, 50% can be backfilled from RA while the other 50% cannot. The 50% that do not project to RA express DARPP-32, a phosphoprotein downstream of dopamine receptors.  DARPP-32+ NNs … Read more

The Evolution of the Mormyrid Weakly Electric Fish Brain and its Impact on Species Diversification

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Abstract: Evolutionarily, changes in social behavior are associated with differences in neural circuitry.  Weakly electric fish communicate using stereotyped brief pulses of electricity, distributed non-uniformly over time; called Electric Organ Discharges (EODs). In the Mormyrid family of weakly electric fish, species diversification has been correlated with coordinated changes in the exterolateral nucleus (EL) of the … Read more

Electrocommunication and Social Coordination in Weakly Electric Mormyrid Fish

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Abstract: As the basis of interaction between individuals, communication signals are key features of animal social behavior. Analysis of social communication in animals, however, is often limited to pairwise interactions due to technical challenges and the complexity of communication signals. Mormyridae are a family of weakly electric fish native to Africa that provide a unique … Read more

Investigating Social Communication of Mormyrid Weakly Electric Fish using Machine Learning Algorithms

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Abstract: Mormyrids are pulse-type weakly electric fish that emit and receive electric organ discharges (EODs) in order to communicate and locate objects in their environment. They generate stereotyped EOD waveforms, but are able to vary the interval between EODs (inter-pulse-intervals – IPIs). The IPIs differ depending on social context, and the timing of EODs are … Read more

Role for Hippocampal δ-GABAA Receptors in the Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure on Endocrine or Behavioral Stress Reactivity in Adulthood

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Abstract: Adolescent binge drinking is linked to abnormal stress reactivity in adulthood and increased vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders. However, the neuronal mechanisms driving this relationship are unknown. Though previous research focused on plasticity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, recent work has highlighted the importance of the hippocampus in regulating both stress and anxiety. Our … Read more

Decoding visual category information from scalp EEG data with logistic regression and support vector machine classifiers

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Abstract: The brain represents different categories of visual stimuli through distinct patterns of neural activity. Much of the evidence for this idea comes from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans. However, fMRI is an indirect measure of neural activity that has low temporal resolution, limiting its ability to accurately capture the temporal dynamics of … Read more